High-altitude balloons have emerged as an increasingly utilized tool for the deployment of research, surveillance, and reconnaissance payloads. As compared to conventional means for payload deployment such as rockets and aircraft which are technologically complex and capital-intensive, high-altitude balloons present a mechanically simple and low-cost alternative.
While the financial appeal for using high-altitude balloons for payload deployment is readily apparent, a number of technological issues currently inhibit the implementation in applications requiring a high degree of payload control and stability. For example, balloon-mounted payloads are highly susceptible to externally applied forces from the immediate atmospheric conditions (e.g., wind, temperature, precipitation, and the like) as well as internal rotational forces generated by moving mechanical components operating within the attached payload. Such effects, whether viewed alone or in combination, may generate significant destabilizing vibrations and oscillations of the payload and the components housed therein. Consequently, balloon-mounted payloads fail to exhibit adequate directional control and/or stability required for many far reaching applications.